Comic Book Review: The Autumnal #3
By Rebecca Benson
The story continues for Vault’s The Autumnal, as readers dive deeper into the mystery of Comfort Notch and its legends.
The creative team behind The Autumnal: (W) Daniel Kraus, (A) Chris Shehan, (C) Jason Wordie, and (L) Jim Campbell have outdone themselves with this issue. Featuring our main persons, Kat and Sybil, readers are given a greater glimpse of the drama and hardships the duo have gone through until their arrival in Comfort Notch. Sybil is acclimating well to her new school, and we see Kat playing the part of the compassionate, newbie neighbor. Wanting to break free of her past–and present–restraints, Kat finds herself in a once familiar situation, several towns over. This causes her to find friendship and a start to healing with Rob, a tattoo artist. Later, Sybil comes home from school with a drawing and revelations. The introduction of a pivotal spine-chilling character ignites the unveiling, a story that has been cloaked in eeriness and intrigue.
The artwork and narrative has definitely been The Autumnal’s greatest assets. The hues that Comfort Notch exhibits are precisely what lures the reader in. Fooled by the solace they offer, the reader becomes transfixed and sucked into darker dimensions of Comfort. This notion is juxtaposed by the gray and gloom of towns outside of Comfort’s limits. It also lends to Kat’s dilemma, who is unable to go and yet is hesitant to stay. She must reconcile her past. Her encounter with Rob is significant for me. I truly enjoyed the obvious chemistry and the way the scene expressed the need for friendship and interaction. He offers what was once lost–hope and healing. We see the softer side of Kat–as her own woman and not the roles she attempts to play.
Additionally, a defining moment is when the truth behind Comfort Notch is slowly being revealed; what–or who–is causing all the grief and sorrow. I can feel the pace starting to quicken as we learn more about the plot. It’s as if I’m watching a horror movie and encouraging the main character to always look behind them and to pay attention. I am impatiently waiting for all of this to play out in future issues. And I hope Kat and Sybil have continued vigilance to unravel all the goings-on before it’s too late!
Catch The Autumnal at your local comic book shop and delve into this thriller!
Ratings: FOUR Pastrami Nations out of FIVE
Rebecca Benson currently resides in the mountains of California. A mother of one daughter, she has a love for pop culture, with a knack for Disney, Harry Potter, and is currently an educator for the hearing impaired. An avid reader, she jumped deeper into the world of comic books in 2020, with her interest piqued in the independent scene.